DYERSVILLE, Iowa — Mike Schmidt was among the first to appear.
After the modern-day Phillies and Twins had emerged from the cornfields in right field, had crossed the grass, and lined up along the baselines, they turned back to look.
A steady stream of Hall of Famers from across multiple generations had followed them out of the stalks. Ahead of Thursday’s Field of Dreams game, it was a nod to the scene in the 1989 film where ghostly versions of the 1919 White Sox materialize between rows of corn and walk on a ball field built by Kevin Costner’s Ray Kinsella. Only instead of ghosts, these were living legends.
A group of 26 Hall of Famers took part in the ceremony, including Schmidt and fellow former Phillies Steve Carlton, Jim Thome, Billy Wagner, Scott Rolen, Jim Kaat, Tony Pérez, and Ferguson Jenkins.
“I felt like I was in a movie,” Schmidt said. “I’m looking around at the guys, and I didn’t want to get too far ahead. I was behind them. You know, I really felt like I was Joe Jackson or something walking on the field.”
While they waited for the ceremony to start, ballplayers past and present had milled about together in the clearing beyond the corn.
Interim manager Don Mattingly saw many old friends. Brandon Marsh was starstruck by his childhood idol, former Brave Andruw Jones. Kyle Schwarber reunited with some former Cubs who visited spring training during his time in Chicago, and he made some new connections as well.
“It was really cool to us, a lot of the guys that I haven’t gotten to meet before, just to shake their hands and introduce who I am and say how big of fans we are of them,” Schwarber said. “These guys all laid the groundwork for us before we even thought about playing baseball, or while we were growing up.”
It was an equally special experience for the old-timers to witness the new generation, and see who might be following in their footsteps.
“It’s kind of almost like a passing of the torch,” said former Twins catcher Joe Mauer. “Those guys on the first and third baselines, maybe a few of them join this group.
“That’s why I think the game is so special. They honor the traditions, the people that have come before you and made an impact on this game, and we hope to leave an imprint on the game and make it better than when you found it.”
Thome’s 18-year-old son Landon was just selected 34th overall by the White Sox in the MLB draft last month. Jim has been spending time with him celebrating that milestone, but couldn’t pass up an opportunity to be a part of a game like Thursday’s, especially considering that his Hall of Fame career included stints in Minnesota and Philadelphia.
“The word for me is thankful,” Thome said. “Thankful for being able to be in this great fraternity with really special men.”
Thome, a Midwest native from Peoria, Ill., attended the inaugural MLB at Field of Dreams game between the White Sox and Yankees in 2021. He played catch with Landon by the cornfields, and then they watched the game together.
He never foresaw a moment like the one on Thursday when he passed through the stalks with fellow all-time greats walking next to him.
“In your career, you have moments where it kind of feels like things slow down,” Thome said. “It felt like you just kind of strolled out with these great players, and it just kind of slowed down.”
The gathering of 26 is believed to be the most Hall of Famers together at one game since the 2008 All-Star Game, which brought together 49 at Yankee Stadium. It accounted for just over one-third of all living members enshrined in Cooperstown.
“The one constant through all the years, Ray,” James Earl Jones’ character, Terence Mann, says in the movie, “has been baseball.”
Byron Buxton, addressing the crowd with a microphone alongside Schwarber during the pregame festivities, referenced that line to prompt the baseball legends to step through the corn.
“I guess to sum it all up,” Schmidt said, “is if I could see my father walk through the cornfields, I tell you what, I’d love to play catch with him.”
The Upper Merion Township Board of Supervisors unanimously rejected a proposed 5-million-square-foot AI data-center campus that had sparked pushback from residents, a lawsuit from the developer, and accusations of mistreatment and intimidation.
After the decision was made at a Thursday night meeting, some in the crowd applauded, danced, and high-fived one another. The rejection came after three hours of fiery exchanges between the developer, Brian O’Neill, and township officials.
O’Neill and his team said they were prepared to go over each of the township’s comments about his five proposed sites in the King of Prussia area. But officials said it was too little, too late, and asked if O’Neill’s team was “filibustering.”
“Are you asking us to not present those facts in defense of those plans when it’s clear all you want to do is deny our plan and go home tonight?” said O’Neill. He later said township officials were violating state and local planning codes, an allegation they denied.
“Your attempt here to lecture us is considered an intimidation. And I don’t want to see our professional staff bullied or coerced,” said William Jenaway, vice chair of the Upper Merion Township Board of Supervisors. “Intimidation, coercion and bullying are not good qualities in a professional leader.”
A map of the proposed data centers in Upper Merion and Plymouth TownshipsJohn Duchneskie
Those projects aren’t dead: O’Neill can appeal the board’s denial, as chair Tina Garzillo told him Thursday.
“Don’t you worry about that,” said O’Neill, before walking out of the Upper Merion Area Middle School auditorium to a chorus of boos.
The board’s decision came after months of contention and a whirlwind two days of legal back-and-forth.
O’Neill on Wednesday sued the township, its planning commission, and its board of supervisors, saying they violated his legal right to an extension and treated him unfairly during the development review process. Soon after, Montgomery County Court Judge Garrett D. Page ordered the township to halt proceedings and decisions related to the data centers until a hearing next week.
Citing the ruling, Edmund J. Campbell, an attorney for O’Neill, declined to make a presentation on two of the five proposed data-center sites at an Upper Merion Township Planning Commission meeting on Wednesday night.
Late Thursday afternoon, however, Page vacated his previous order, allowing the township board of supervisors to proceed with its meeting as planned. On the agenda: A vote on O’Neill’s request for an extension until Sept. 30, and votes on the five proposed data centers.
After an hour of public comment, all but one of which was from residents opposing the data centers, the township’s board of supervisors voted to deny O’Neill’s extension requests. The board then moved on to vote on the land development plans for each of the five sites.
One by one, the plans were denied unanimously by the five-person board.
Each vote was met with loud cheers from attendees.
For months, residents have rallied against O’Neill’s plans, packing township meetings and putting up bright orange lawn signs opposing the projects. About 18,000 people had signed a Change.org petition against the Upper Merion data centers as of Thursday. Some neighbors have expressed concerns about pollution, light, noise, electricity prices, property values, and quality of life.
Upper Merion residents opposed to the data centers have put up these lawn signs.Alejandro A. Alvarez / Staff Photographer
“I’m really proud to stand here tonight with each and every other concerned resident,” Courtney Smith said Thursday. “We all have something important here to fight for.”
“The people here are here because they care deeply about the long-term interest of our communities,” Montgomery County Commissioner Neil K. Makhija said during his comments in opposition of the plan. The commissioner said the supervisors’ decision would have ramifications beyond the county, as communities across the region and the country weigh data-center development.
O’Neil has said his data centers would benefit Upper Merion and “change the world for the better.” While the developer has declined to specify who exactly would operate the centers, he has indicated the facilities would use AI-powered biotech in conjunction with his existing life-sciences complex, Discovery Labs.
One of the sites where Brian O’Neill wanted to build a data center in Upper Merion.Alejandro A. Alvarez / Staff Photographer
O’Neill has said his data centers would comply with the highest environmental standards, emitting little light and noise. They would operate on a closed-loop system, requiring no outside water, he said, and provide their own power.
The developer has also said they’d be an economic boon to the area. Last week, he released an economic impact study that said the Upper Merion centers would result in more than 10,000 jobs during its construction and then generate more than $55 million a year in local tax revenue.
At Thursday’s board of supervisors meeting, however, Upper Merion Township Tax Collector Evelyn Ankers disputed those figures, and said O’Neill has failed to pay taxes on his properties in the past.
Across the Schuylkill, a data-center fight rages on between O’Neill and some residents of Plymouth Township, where the developer wants to build a 2-million-square-foot facility on a shuttered steel mill outside Conshohocken.
DYERSVILLE, Iowa — They wandered in from the corn, paused for a beat at the right field warning track, gazed around, and kept walking. Soon, 26 — 26! — Hall of Famers joined them on the field.
But that was the performative, made-for-Netflix part.
If only everybody could have seen them hours earlier, before the cameras rolled here Thursday night. A few hundred feet from a refurbished 8,000-seat stadium, the Phillies stood on the original Field of Dreams, the one that sits alongside the white farmhouse and tilted red barn and was the set of the 1989 Oscar-nominated film that brings people to this little Iowa town in the first place.
Andrew Painter and his parents walked the outfield made famous by Costner and Liotta. Bryce Harper and Bryson Stott took pictures in front of the house. Brandon Marsh maneuvered between the cornstalks. Don Mattingly had a catch with his 11-year-old son, Louie, near his older son, Preston, the Phillies’ general manager.
And for a few minutes, nobody talked about back-to-back losses this week in St. Louis. Or five losses in eight games. Or a 10-15 record since the All-Star break. Or a playoff spot that is slipping through their fingers.
For a few minutes, they all smiled. They … relaxed.
“I don’t think our guys have a problem relaxing, honestly,” Mattingly said. “But I do think guys like coming to these kind of games. They do break up the monotony. You know, this is a game you don’t really forget.”
But it was a game nonetheless. And before the end of a long day that started in St. Louis and ended on a plane to Minneapolis, Kyle Schwarber homered twice — including a leadoff shot into the corn, as if it had been ordered up by a Hollywood script — in an easy, breezy 7-1 victory over the Twins.
Schwarber played a prominent role in the pregame script. He took the microphone and joined Twins star Byron Buxton in announcing the arrival of the Hall of Famers, who also entered through the corn.
Then, Schwarber stood alongside Mattingly on the first-base line and kibitzed about the legends in their midst.
“Molly’s out there and I’m like, ‘This guy could really hit,’” Mattingly said of Paul Molitor. “And he knew Hawk [Andre Dawson] from Chicago a little bit, and I knew him from Miami. A lot of the guys, I played with. So, it was interesting to be able to talk about that.”
Schwarber went further, calling it “once in a lifetime.” And once the unscripted part of the event began, he hit Twins starter Taj Bradley’s third pitch out to right field.
While Schwarber looked authentic in the Phillies’ gray, red, and navy 1939 throwback uniforms, Aaron Nola threw it back to a time when the Phillies relied on him atop their rotation. He’s more of a supporting actor now, but the Phillies still need him down the stretch.
And in five solid innings, Nola gave up only a homer to Luke Keaschall. Don’t look now, but he has a 2.91 ERA in his last four starts and has allowed three runs or less in seven of his last eight.
Schwarber made it 5-1 in the fourth inning with a two-run shot off a leaping Keaschall’s glove in right field. Marsh homered in the seventh.
Kyle Schwarber celebrates his two-run homer — his second of the game — with Brandon Marsh in the fourth inning on Thursday.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
It all came at the end of a 14-game stretch without a day off. There were times when the bullpen was fried and the lineup didn’t produce runs. The Phillies woke up Thursday in a tie with the Diamondbacks for the last National League wild-card spot.
There was a sense, then, that this Iowa excursion — a “pop-in and pop-out,” as Mattingly called it — couldn’t have come at a worse time.
Actually, it was quite the opposite.
“Maybe the boys needed a little shock like today,” Marsh said. “Really didn’t get to get our routines in. Not complaining, but it was just a quick day, a lot of stuff going on. Maybe the boys needed it.
“We haven’t been playing, like J.T. [Realmuto] said, our brand of baseball that we talk about here. Hopefully today, that’s a little spark for us to turn it on for this push.”
Indeed, sometimes the best way to break out of a rut is to change the routine of a six-month grind. So, the Phillies flew into nearby Dubuque a few hours before the game and took a bus to the Field of Dreams site. They took it all in. The entire front office met them here, too, with owner John Middleton sitting behind home plate.
Even Nola walked around the field with Zack Wheeler and pitching coach Caleb Cotham before studying the scouting report on the Twins.
“We were talking about just how the experience was from when we got here, having the opportunity to go over to the movie set, walk around, see it,” Schwarber said. “We all watched the movie as kids growing up, so it’s really cool to be able to see exactly where it was.
“It’s a unique thing to do, and it’s something that you’re going to bring up to your kids. I’m going to watch that movie together with my kids one day, and to be able to say, ‘Hey, dad got to play there,’ or, ‘Dad got to, you see that house out there in this movie,’ it’ll be really cool.”
Brandon Marsh watches his seventh-inning two-run home run on Thursday.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
Wait until Schwarber tells his kids about hitting two homers in front of more than two dozen Hall of Famers.
And maybe even giving the skidding Phillies a jump-start.
“It’s kind of a little pinch, right? A little reality pinch,” Schwarber said. “Overall, just an unbelievable experience. And obviously we’re happy we walked away with a win.”
The reason Jeff Hartman drove from Reamstown, Pa., to watch the 126th U.S. Amateur Championship was pretty simple.
“Because it’s Merion,” he said.
Spectators from all over the country and of different ages lined the fairways and followed the action on Thursday at Merion Golf Club during the Round of 32 and Round of 16 matches.
The United States Golf Association expects 20,000 attendees will come to Merion throughout the week. For many fans, the main draw is to walk the iconic course and experience a championship tournament with no ropes.
Unlike professional tournaments, the U.S. Amateur gives spectators a rare opportunity to be close to the players. Fans are encouraged to walk the fairways alongside the competitors, which creates a more intimate experience for them. That was part of the main attraction for Hartman.
“You can get closer to the players, and it’s kind of neat walking along the fairways behind them,” he said.
Hartman, an avid fan of the sport, attended the 1981 U.S. Open, as well as the 2013 U.S. Open at Merion when Justin Rose won his first major championship. He also made the trip for the 2022 Curtis Cup, also held at Merion.
“It’s a beautiful place, with such deep history,” he said. “It’s almost peaceful.”
The Merion Golf Club looking out the fairway of the fifth hole at the 126th U.S. Amateur Championship.Tyger Williams / Staff Photographer
Spectators posed for photos on the 18th fairway where the plaque of Ben Hogan’s famous 1-iron shot lies, and they even had a chance to speak with Charles Barkley, who was watching the action on the 13th green.
Lugianocontinues surprise run
The Round of 32 and Round of 16 were decided on Thursday.
In the morning matches, Jackson Township, Pa., native Michael Lugiano won 1-up against Nevill Ruiter.
A back-and-forth afternoon match in the Round of 16 had Lugiano heading into the 17th hole tied with rising BYU freshman Drake Harvey.
Lugiano parred the 186-yard par-3 on 17, while Harvey bogeyed. Lugiano secured the 1-up win on 18 to advance to the quarterfinals on Friday at 2 p.m. against Logan Reilly.
“If you’d asked me two weeks ago where I was going to be, I was thinking about withdrawing from this event,” Lugiano said. “That’s how bad of golf I was playing. After the Western, I was sick of playing bad, and I got to work, found a feel, and really worked hard on it for that week coming into this event, [and] decided to eventually play because I got confident with my game again. I can’t believe I’ve made it this far from my perspective two weeks ago.”
Jackson Township, Pa., native Michael Lugiano advanced to the quarterfinals on Friday.Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer
Liberty teammates, including medalist Joshua Ryan, who Lugiano is staying with this week, followed his match and greeted him with high-fives and hugs after the win.
“Having all the people out here, it’s great,” Lugiano said. “It’s not nerve-wracking at all. It’s just really nice to have the support.”
Reilly, a rising sophomore at Auburn who was a member of the 2026 NCAA Division I National Championship team, won his Round of 16 match on the 20th hole against Ryder Cowan, a rising senior at Oklahoma University. Cowan shared low amateur honors at the U.S. Open in June with Miles Russell.
The crowds at Merion fueled Reilly to finish strong down the stretch.
“I think it’s so cool to have all those people out there,” Reilly said. “It’s kind of what I grew up dreaming about is playing with big crowds. I love everyone getting loud and kind of rowdy out there. The more people out there and the more cameras, it means something is going well.”
Carter Loflin advanced to the quarterfinals after winning his match on the 19th hole with local caddie Jack Hopkins, who has worked at Merion for 35 years, on the bag. Loflin was 2-up heading into the 17th hole, but William Jennings parred on 17 and 18 to tie the match and take it to extra holes. Loflin birdied the 19th hole to take the win.
“Thirty-six holes on this golf course is just so draining,” he said. “It’s not like a normal test just because there’s so much you have to think about. Eighteen holes is a lot out here. Thirty-six is a different beast, and I kind of experienced that today.”
Despite entering Thursday night’s match with a small chance to qualify for the knockout rounds of the Leagues Cup, the Union were eliminated from the tournament after suffering a 2-0 loss to Liga MX’s Santos Laguna at Subaru Park.
Ramiro Sordo gave Santos Laguna the lead in the 48th minute, and Ezequiel Bullaude added a second in the 51st.
The Union were not yet mathematically eliminated before Thursday, but would have needed to run up the score against Santos Laguna and hope for favorable outcomes elsewhere.
Ryan Richter’s lineup prioritized rest for his top players over remaining in the competition. Geiner Martínez, Ben Bender, Jeremy Rafanello and Stas Korzeniowski all saw the pitch for the first time since the FIFA World Cup break, and Union II defender Rafael Uzcátegui made his first appearance with the club’s first team.
“We would have needed to win by four goals,” Richter said after the match. “That is something that we’re capable of, but not many games are going to go exactly that way. If you push for that, win 3-0, and you don’t get it, that leaves you tired on Sunday.”
Santos Laguna’s Salvador Mariscal was shown a yellow card in the 25th minute for a hard foul on Agustín Anello. Kevin Picón earned another yellow a minute later for a foul on Jesús Bueno.
The game slogged through a 20-minute stretch without a shot, as neither team challenged the net between Union misses in the 22nd and 44th.
Sordo opened the scoring with a header in the 48th minute, beating Andrew Rick to his right post.
Bullaude found the net three minutes later, getting on the end of a cross that rolled through the penalty area.
Despite playing with a rotated lineup, Richter said he was disappointed in his team’s effort against the Mexican side.
The Union’s Stas Korzeniowski (left) made a surprise start on Thursday.Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer
“We attack these games to win, and that’s how I’m going to approach every single week,” Richter said. “No matter who’s playing, or if we’re rotating the squad, or what the situation is. This is the mentality that we have to have. That’s what I’m disappointed from tonight. I didn’t see that fire at the end of the game that I saw in the last few weeks.”
Trailing, Richter made a series of changes in the 59th minute. The Union’s interim manager brought on Alejandro Bedoya and Malik Jakupovic for Bueno and Korzeniowski.
Martínez checked out of the game in the 66th minute and was replaced by Finn Sundstrom. Martínez was checked by doctors after a collision inside the 18-yard box in the 59th, but he returned to play. However, he was escorted off the field by medical staff minutes after he returned.
“Normally, when you have to come out with a head injury, that’s not great,” Richter said after the match. “Hopefully he’s OK, and if it is something, then it’s something minor, but we’ll get the answer on that tonight or tomorrow.”
The Union’s Geiner Martínez left the game with what appeared to be a head injury.Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer
Kellan LeBlanc made his debut for the Union’s first team, coming off the bench for Anello in the 76th minute.
Sundstrom was shown a yellow card in the 84th minute, and Franco Pardo was cautioned in the 86th minute. Japhet Sery Larsen earned the game’s final yellow card in the 90th.
Up next …
The Union will return to MLS play with a match at Yankee Stadium against New York City FC on Sunday (6 p.m., Apple TV).
DYERSVILLE, Iowa — Long before he was a major league manager, even before all the Gold Gloves and Silver Sluggers and MVP awards, Don Mattingly was a kid playing baseball in Indiana.
One of the ballparks he played in with his brothers, growing up in Evansville, was down a dirt road surrounded by cornfields. And he couldn’t help but be reminded of it as the Phillies filed off their bus Thursday afternoon in Dyersville, Iowa, at the site of their Field of Dreams game.
Beyond center field of the ballpark where the Phillies took on the Twins, past rows upon rows of corn stalks is the actual set used to film the 1989 movie. The Phillies wandered around the site with their families and friends before the game, exploring the field, bleachers, and house that are all iconic parts of the film.
“Just kind of seeing the house and making sure when I crossed over the chalk line, I didn’t turn into a normal human being,” Bryce Harper said. “Seeing just all of it. Just really cool to be able to be part of it, and be here, and enjoy it.”
Bryson Stott watched the movie with his wife during the Phillies’ last homestand. He’d seen it before, but the latest viewing had a bit more significance knowing the game was on the horizon.
“I paid attention to the little stuff that’s going on, and just trying to see what I would be able to see here, knowing that we’re coming here,” Stott said.
Phillies outfielder Derek Hill, a Des Moines native, takes a photo on the Field of Dreams movie site. Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
The movie Field of Dreams itself is as much about fathers and sons as it is about baseball. Kevin Costner’s Ray Kinsella builds the ballpark as a way to connect with his late father’s passion for the game. Their relationship is a main thread throughout, and culminates with Kinsella playing a game of catch with a younger version of his father.
For some players, the logistics of having just one game in Iowa were too complicated to bring their families along for the experience. But not for Mattingly, who shares a workplace with his son Preston, the Phillies general manager. He was also be able to bring along his youngest son, 11-year-old Louie.
The Mattingly trio took a photo together on the field pregame. Don and Louie also played a game of catch, just like Ray and his father did in the movie.
“It’s just been a cool dynamic overall to work alongside of [Preston] and be a part of that,” Don Mattingly said. “And then just my little one just being around. Times have changed for kids and families at ballparks and things like that, during BP. And that change is for the better. Your kids get to hang out in the locker room and just be around the guys. It’s been a good experience.”
The Phillies’ Brandon Marsh walks through the cornfield separating the movie site baseball field with the one they played on Thursday night.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
Despite all the fanfare, however, the Phillies are aware that the game isn’t an exhibition. Both teams are in the midst of a wild-card race, and are looking to turn things around after a substandard recent performance.
The Phillies had lost six of their last eight series out of the All-Star break and entered Thursday tied with the Diamondbacks for the final wild-card spot. Since Arizona has the tiebreaker, the Phillies have fallen out of playoff position for the first time since early June.
“We know we have to win games, especially now and coming down the stretch,” Stott said. “It breaks it up in a sense where we’re not in Minnesota for three games, but we’re still playing the Twins three times, and got to win some games. And we’re going to try to enjoy being here, but also the main thing is to win the game.”
Phillies coaches stand on the porch of the farmhouse from “Field of Dreams.” Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
Extra bases
The Phillies added outfielder Kameron Misner to the roster as the additional player permitted for Thursday’s Field of Dreams game. Misner was acquired in a July trade with the Kansas City Royals in exchange for cash considerations. In 75 games at the triple-A level across both organizations, the left-handed hitter has a .272/.371/.529 slash line. … Catcher Rafael Marchán (left knee patellar tendinitis) began a rehab assignment for triple-A Lehigh Valley Thursday. … Following Friday’s off day, Jesús Luzardo (10-5, 3.32 ERA) is scheduled to start against Twins left-hander Connor Prielipp (3-5,4.79) at Target Field.
While walking along a stretch of beach in Sea Isle City earlier this week, a woman reported coming upon something you don’t often see in the South Jersey locale: Nearly 30 small dogfish sharks, all dead, washed up on shore.
They were small — maybe a foot in length. And some had small red marks on their bellies, according to reports.
Was this the result of something deadly in the water? Some new kind of apex predator? The approaching apocalypse?
Probably not, it turns out.
Michelle Greenling made the discovery on Wednesday morning, she told CBS Philadelphia, as she walked a 10-block stretch of the town’s beach. The first couple shark corpses weren’t particularly surprising, she said.
“But when I saw three and four and five,” she told the outlet, “I knew something was up.”
Greenling was initially worried that the sharks had been affected by something in the water.
But that does not appear to be the case, experts said.
Having examined photos of the dead sharks, Thomas Grothues, director of the Rutgers University Marine Field Station in Tuckerton, was confident they could be traced back to a fairly common occurrence.
Basically, when commercial fishing boats inadvertently scoop up fish that its crew is not actively targeting, workers are required to release them back into the water.
“This is super consistent with a commercial bycatch of fish,” said Grothues. “You can get 200 in a trawl [net] easy, and most of them will live — they’re pretty tough. But if a catch is huge and they’re sorting it, then sometimes the weight itself can kill sharks that wouldn’t normally die.”
Lawrence Hajna, media director for the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, offered a similar explanation.
“These occurrences are not uncommon in the summer when these fish forage near the shore and sometimes get caught inside sandbars as the tides goes out,” Hajna said in an email Thursday. “It is also possible they were discarded as bycatch from a commercial or recreational fishing trip.”
As for whether the curious incident requires any investigative follow-up?
Hajna said that the agency is not investigating the situation, “as this does not appear to be an unusual event.”
The march toward the 2026-27 season has been unlike any other in 76ers history. In one offseason, the organization hired Mike Gansey as president of basketball operations, traded for Jaylen Brown, and signed LeBron James.
That series of events has created quite a bit of excitement in Philly. Ticket prices were jacked up at Xfinity Mobile Arena. James murals went up all over town. And fans were riled up after a slimmed-down Joel Embiid arrived to informal workouts in midseason shape.
That predated Thursday’s release of the Sixers’ full-season schedule. We’d been given a look at marquee games, including opening week and Christmas Day. Now with the full schedule in front of us, here are 10 games to watch from one of the more-anticipated Sixers seasons in recent memory:
The NBA has leaned into this rivalry in recent years for several reasons. The ‘Nova Knicks have numerous Philly connections, and these franchises had failed to reach the mountaintop for decades. That finally changed for the Knicks in June after knocking off the Sixers in the Eastern Conference semifinals as part of their NBA championship run. Now the Sixers have formed a “Big Five″ and could turn the tide. A matchup on ring night and another on Oct. 30 could deliver an early postseason matchup.
Home opener against Cleveland (Oct. 22, ESPN)
Folks in Philly will get their first regular-season glimpse of the new-look Sixers as James faces one of his former teams. This meeting will have a little extra sauce after James considered the Cavaliers in free agency and did not pick home in his “final decision.” The Cavaliers have the continuity advantage after they doubled down on their roster with Donovan Mitchell signing a big extension and former Sixer James Harden expected to re-sign this summer.
Tyrese Maxey (left), new teammate Jaylen Brown, and the Sixers will first face Boston on Nov. 10 at home.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Brown’s first game against Boston (Nov. 10, NBC10)
There has been no love lost between Brown and the Celtics since he was traded to the Sixers on July 1. Brown still is coming to grips with the separation after spending the first 10 years of his career in Boston. Meanwhile, behind-the-scenes issues from his tenure there have started to emerge, as he and Jayson Tatum have carried on a cold war of sorts in the media and Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens struggles to explain the deal that netted an aging Paul George. Brown, fresh off his “favorite season” as the centerpiece in Boston, will need to learn to fit into a star-studded Sixers roster. But he’ll likely take center stage in this matchup.
Embiid returns to Houston after last season’s appendicitis (Nov. 28)
This game takes on significance for several reasons, chiefly Embiid’s return to Houston for the first time since he underwent an emergency appendectomy in April. That surgery was one in a long line of ill-timed Embiid injuries. Finally on a team with tangible title hopes, Embiid’s quest to stay healthy has never been more important.
Ownership weirdness aside, the Lakers still are one of the NBA’s cornerstone franchises. It’s the reason James chose them in 2018 when he last entertained changing teams. It’s the reason he made waves this summer when he declared his intention to leave the West Coast. Before that public divorce, the Lakers already appeared to be trending in another direction with Luka Dončić on a max deal, and Austin Reaves signed to another contract extension this offseason. Even at 41 years old, James will have extra motivation on Christmas Day in LA.
Sixers’ second meeting with Miami (Jan. 8, ESPN)
The Sixers’ and Miami Heat’s first matchup this season is Nov. 25. But with new rosters on both sides, they still will be figuring things out at that stage. This Jan. 8 meeting will be the real matchup. By then, James, Brown, and new Heat star Giannis Antetokounmpo will have had time meshing with their new rosters and figuring out life in new cities. The East is a gauntlet, and these franchises are part of what has altered the conference.
The Sixers will visit Giannis Antetokounmpo (right) and the Heat in January.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
Brown returns to Boston (Jan. 21, Prime)
Brown’s news conference was a sign he intends to put down real roots in Philly. He also connected with Boston and will hold a block party later this month to put a bow on his tenure there. Celtics fans had plenty of reasons to love Brown, who helped deliver a title in 2024 and was Finals MVP. But then Brown will have to flip the switch and remember that he now plays for the team he was “programmed to hate.”
Game against OKC, McCain (Feb. 13, Prime)
The Sixers’ seismic offseason started with one February transaction. Jared McCain was sent to the Thunder at the February trade deadline, which likely spelled the end of Daryl Morey’s time in town. His trade was considered the linchpin that led to Gansey being hired, the trade for Brown, and the signing of James. Still, McCain remains well-liked in Philly, and his Thunder will serve as a crucial test for the Sixers right before the All-Star break.
One of the best performances of Embiid’s career came against one of the best defenders in NBA history. Embiid scored 70 points against then-rookie Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs on Jan. 22, 2024. It also was one of the final times Embiid looked fully healthy. He suffered a meniscus injury about a week later and underwent left knee surgery. Embiid’s health will be critical for the Sixers’ title hopes. This should serve as a nice test for him right before the playoffs.
Playoff tuneup against Golden State (March 31, ESPN)
Speaking of tests, the Sixers by this point likely will start to wind down and load manage before the postseason. So against Golden State, another team James considered this summer, the Sixers will play a franchise with a championship pedigree even if it’s past its prime years.
The Eagles held the 11th practice of their 2026 training camp on Thursday at the Jefferson Health Training Complex. Here were my observations from Day 11 (and links to Days 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10):
Fight club
My notes will start at the end of practice and what caused a scheduled 90-minute workout to finish prematurely: The Eagles’ first bona fide fight of camp. Defensive tackle Moro Ojomo and tackle Fred Johnson had themselves a good ol’ donnybrook in which fists were thrown, alleged cheap shots were taken and multiple players and coaches did their best to separate the two combatants.
As with most camp altercations, there was apparently a series of events that led to the ultimate throwdown between the linemen. Ojomo doesn’t typically line up over Johnson, but there are occasions when they will meet, particularly on run plays. In second-unit team drills, Ojomo beat Johnson inside and notched a would-be tackle for loss. He might have had another TFL a set later if Johnson didn’t tackle him to the ground.
Moro Ojomo took exception to what he felt was a late push by teammate Fred Johnson. Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer
It all came to a head later on when Johnson gave Ojomo an extra push to the ground. Ojomo popped up, stormed at Johnson and led with a left. Johnson responded and they scuffled until it was broken up. Normally, throwing hands would get you kicked out of the next play or even practice. Ojomo and Johnson not only remained on the field, but faced off again. And, of course, it got physical again. Johnson pancaked Ojomo to the turf, Ojomo came up swinging — this time with a right hook — and then all I could see were bodies flying around trying to stop the melee.
Punching a helmet makes little sense and Ojomo apparently realized as much. My view was obstructed, but I was later told that after breaking free from his teammates, he lunged at Johnson’s lower body. That prolonged the fracas until the two were finally pried apart. Ojomo kept yelling at Johnson, who said to no one in particular, “He tried to take out my knees! I got kids!”
Coach Nick Sirianni huddled the team together and wrapped up practice 10 minutes early. After two weeks of facing off against each other, the Eagles’ offense and defense will finally face a team in another uniform when they meet the Ravens on Saturday. And again when they head to New England for two joint practices with the Patriots next Wednesday and Thursday. It’s about that time.
Quinyon Mitchell (glute) and Cooper DeJean (groin) were the latest to miss practice. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the two All-Pro cornerbacks landed on the injury report at the same time. The Eagles have likely seen enough out of Mitchell and DeJean, and as they did with receiver DeVonta Smith, decided to shut down two key players who don’t need camp as much others do.
With Mitchell out, Jakorian Bennett and Kelee Ringo split reps at right cornerback. Michael Carter II filled in for DeJean in the slot and Marcus Epps took most, if not all, of the snaps at safety. Cornerback Tariq Castro-Fields might have gotten some looks with the first-unit defense, too, but he was also out with a heel injury.
The following remained sidelined: receiver Makai Lemon (hamstring), cornerback Jonathan Jones (shoulder), outside linebacker Keyshawn James-Newby (ankle), running back Dameon Pierce (hamstring), safety Cole Wisniewski (hamstring), and Smith (hamstring). Receiver Danny Gray (concussion) was limited.
Receiver Johnny Wilson (knee) was back in action.
When Riq Woolen (2) is off the field, Mac McWilliams (22) is often on it. Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Hollywood shuffle
Cornerback Mac McWilliams got some starter’s reps whenever Riq Woolen took a breather. He made the most of his turn during seven-on-sevens when he intercepted Jalen Hurts’ toss to receiver Hollywood Brown in the end zone. McWilliams caught sight of the pass late, but he used one hand to secure the ball against his shoulder and pulled it in for the pick.
Hurts’ pass didn’t look errant. The timing between a quarterback and a receiver on out routes can be of the utmost importance. Hurts worked with Brown on the route after practice. Lemon was involved, as well. Brown hasn’t really stood out in camp. There could be a host of reasons why. Does Hurts not yet trust him? Is he not a scheme fit? Has he lost a step? Or is it simply too early to make assessments?
Brown later dropped a screen pass.
Interpreting interceptions
Brown was also the intended receiver on Mitchell’s interception from Tuesday. I chose to spotlight the corner’s improved ball skills rather than Hurts’ turnover because it appeared as if Brown wasn’t precise on his dig route. As with most plays in football, there were multiple factors. The Eagles posted the play on their social media accounts and it created a minor stir.
I understood some of the commotion. The team wouldn’t normally promote anything that would seemingly disparage their franchise quarterback. I think in this case, they simply wanted to give props to Mitchell. The interception had already been reported. It’s not like Hurts — or any player — is perfect. And, in fact, I appreciate that the Eagles didn’t feel like they had to mollycoddle the 28-year old. That hasn’t always been the case.
Nevertheless, Hurts could end up throwing more interceptions with more projected middle field throws in the new offense. I asked Sirianni if he needed to alter his conservatism when it comes to turnovers because the reward of more over-the-middle passes is worth the risk. His answer in a nutshell was no, but I think there is an alternate reality.
Nolan Smith Jr. had a strong practice Thursday. Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Smith locked in
Nolan Smith was all over the field during the first team period. The outside linebacker raced into the backfield to touch up running back Saquon Barkley after getting by tight end Dallas Goedert’s block. Smith was even more impressive on the next rep when he beat left tackle Jordan Mailata with a push-pull move and strung a run play out. A few plays later, he snuffed out a swing pass to Barkley.
Smith’s instincts and versatility are strengths. He’s effective in setting the edge against the run and wily when he drops into coverage. His effort is unquestioned. A lot of his pressures and sacks come from dirty work. The one knock, as I see it, is fairly significant: He doesn’t win enough in the pass rush. At least not yet. And there are concerns about durability. He’s still wearing a large brace on his left arm. But the Eagles picked up his fifth-year option for good reason.
Dontayvion Wicks opened camp as one of Hurts’ go-to guys. He wasn’t targeted as much over the last week, for whatever reason, but Thursday’s practice further validated the notion that Wicks should get the second-most number of snaps at receiver once the season starts.
Hurts and Wicks have developed obvious rapport on certain concepts, mostly on the out route. Wicks knows how to win at the line. He caught a 10-yarder in front of McWilliams early on, and then beat Woolen for a touchdown. Woolen has been one of the best man-press covers in the NFL. But Wicks used a quick shuffle at the line to keep the corner from jamming him. Hurts hit him in stride before the pylon and pumped his fist in celebration.
Bell power
Markel Bell took the snaps at right tackle when Lane Johnson got rest. The 6-foot-9 rookie has so far answered some of the questions about his agility in the Shanahan scheme. We know he has the size traits, especially when it comes to arm length in pass protection. But would he be able to get out of a three-point stance in run blocking? Would he be able to climb to the second level and get his hands on linebackers?
I saw it before in camp, but he had two impressive instances on Thursday when he sealed off linebacker Zack Baun on inside zone runs by Barkley and Tank Bigsby. Guard Tyler Steen — his partner on the right side — had a solid day as well. He once contained defensive tackle Jalen Carter at the point of attack. He later had a false start and may have held Carter on another down, but Steen has solidified his standing this summer.
Johnny Mundt (83) was a target for Jalen Hurts (1). Tyger Williams / Staff Photographer
First down
Hurts loves his tight ends during sevens-on-sevens. Goedert and Johnny Mundt were his targets on the first three drops. Hurts then tried two corner fades in the red zone — the first to Wicks and the second to Wilson — but Michael Carter and Woolen each recorded pass breakups.
Ringo took a poor angle on a Barkley run to the perimeter. A year ago, Ringo essentially took himself out of the starting cornerback competition when he missed an open field tackle in the first preseason game. Hurts later found Goedert in the back of the end zone for a touchdown in team drills. Safety Andrew Mukuba was in coverage, but Hurts had all kinds of time in the pocket.
Tanner McKee should get some run on Saturday. Tyger Williams / Staff Photographer
Second down
Sirianni declined to say who would start at quarterback on Saturday. It’s doubtful that Hurts and Co. play. The guess here is that Andy Dalton will get the nod, but Tanner McKee will play as much. McKee was first up with the second offense on Thursday. His best moment came on a 12-yard hitch to receiver Britain Covey.
Dalton struggled in his first set. His throw to running back Will Shipley led him just out of bounds. Shipley did his best to drag his feet, and a nearby referee ruled him inbounds, but the replay suggested otherwise. Gray was wide-open in the back of the end zone a play later, but Dalton overthrew him.
Extra points
Barkley got dinged at one point and required trainer attention. He should fine, from what I understand. … It was bound to happen. Willie Lampkin missed a block. Defensive tackle Byron Young was credited with a sack when he slipped outside the guard. Lampkin’s error wasn’t physical. He just hesitated a second on his assignment. … Covey, Elijah Moore, Quez Watkins and Brandon Hayes handled punt return duties. Lemon watched from nearby. … UFC’s Paddy “The Baddy” Pimblett watched practice. … The Eagles have a closed walkthrough on Friday. They’re off on Sunday and will return to practice on Monday.
A Main Line developer looking to build multiple data centers in Montgomery County possibly could have more time to make his case for a five-property campus near King of Prussia.
And residents who oppose the projects — who had been preparing for a potential vote on the plans this week — now may wait to learn whether the complex will be built in their neighborhood.
A Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas Judge on Wednesday temporarily prohibited Upper Merion Township from making decisions about any data centers proposed by Brian O’Neill. The township board of supervisors had been set to vote Thursday on the five proposed data centers totaling 4.6 million square feet.
The developer had asked for an extension from Upper Merion until Sept. 30, saying his team needed more time to respond to dozens of township review letters related to the projects. In emails, O’Neill said township officials made clear they would not allow more time.
“It is clear … that the township’s board of supervisors intends to decline the offer of extension and instead proceed to deny the applications,” O’Neill wrote in the lawsuit.
On Wednesday, the developer had sued Upper Merion Township, its board of supervisors, and its planning commission, saying they violated his legal right to an extension and treated him unfairly during the review process.
The judge’s ruling ordered that township officials halt certain proceedings and not make any decisions about the data center plans until after a court hearing scheduled for next week.
Before the lawsuit, the Upper Merion Township Planning Commission had been scheduled to discuss and make recommendations to the Upper Merion Township Board of Supervisors on two of O’Neill’s five data center plans on Wednesday. The planning commission had previously voted not to recommend approval of O’Neill’s three other proposals.
In a separate meeting on Thursday, the township supervisors had been set to vote on whether to approve the five data center plans.
The proposed data centers in Upper Merion are across the river from another data center O’Neill has proposed near Conshohocken.John Duchneskie
But late Thursday afternoon, Judge Garrett D. Page vacated his Aug. 12 order, paving the way for a potential vote Thursday night on O’Neill’s extension request and his data center plans.
O’Neill’s team had declined to discuss the projects with the planning commission on Wednesday, citing the lawsuit.
“We are not making a presentation tonight consistent with the court’s order,” said Edmund J. Campbell, an attorney for the developer. “I will ask to be excused as I don’t believe my presence is needed, pursuant to the court’s order.”
With Campbell’s exit, the township planning commission had opened the floor to dozens of local residents, all but one of whom was opposed to the projects.
They expressed concerns about light, noise, and sound pollution; water use; the impact on the power grid and electricity prices; mental and physical health impacts; and overall quality of life in the suburb. Some said they were angry with O’Neill and his team, with a few citing a recent 6ABC interview in which O’Neill said opponents wanted to “fight for the sake of the fight” and were against development that was “right for the community.”
Some residents disagreed with those statements.
“Judging by the past five months or so [of] our community standing together in solidarity against these horrific proposals, this is clearly not right for our community,” Upper Merion resident Zachary Davis said Wednesday.
Some King of Prussia residents have put up lawn signs opposing the data centers.Alejandro A. Alvarez / Staff Photographer
The developer has said the data centers would operate on a closed-loop system, requiring no outside water, and provide their own power. They’d emit little light and noise, according to O’Neill, and include billions of dollars worth of emissions controls.
O’Neill’s team last week released an economic impact study that says the Upper Merion centers would result in more than 10,000 jobs during its construction and then generate more than $55 million a year in local tax revenue.
O’Neill’s efforts come as data-center opponents’ ire toward him has intensified.
The animosity was on display last week at a zoning hearing board meeting in nearby Plymouth Township, where O’Neill is trying to build a 2-million-square-foot data center on the outskirts of Conshohocken.
A date has not been set for the next Plymouth Township meeting, though officials indicated it would occur sometime in September.
In Upper Merion, officials said late Wednesday that the monthly board of supervisors business meeting scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Thursday was still on. Other issues, not related to data centers, were on the agenda.
Editor’s Note: This story has been updated after Montgomery County Common Pleas Judge Garrett D. Page late Thursday afternoon vacated his Aug. 12 order.
